This method and device of the present disclosure relates to an improvement in cleaning musical instruments, and more particularly to a method and device to make cleaning cymbals easy, fast, and a relative clean process without making an additional mess which itself requires cleaning.
The cymbal is a percussion music instrument used to generate sound. It typically consists of two thin, round, concave plates generally of copper-tin alloy. Cymbals also may have handles or other leather components attached to their backs.
Cymbals have been part of cultures for centuries. They have played a key role in both celebrations and marches to war. The modern orchestral cymbal is at least 14 inches in diameter. Cymbals are used to express part of the drum set vocal range. The sounds they make at certain places in a song will speak to the listener.
Sometimes a single cymbal may be suspended from a frame with a petal-actuated cymbal underneath. This is called a choke cymbal. The opposite of this is a sock cymbal, where the top is fixed and the bottom cymbal is moveable.
Sound is produced by clashing together the cymbals or striking them separately with hard or soft beaters. The cymbals are struck together with a brushing motion because clashing them directly together may cause them to crack. This produces a long-lasting loud or soft sound of indeterminate pitch. A cymbal suspended from a frame produces sound either by a petal-actuated cymbal or by metal brushes or a cloth-covered drumstick.
For the necessary sound and finish cymbals are generally made of combining two metals, copper and tin. Copper makes up the largest portion of most cymbals. Tin is the second most abundant alloy used. Typically, cymbals for beginners include about 8% tin and 92% copper while professional level cymbals have about 20% tin and 80% copper. Both beginner-quality and professional-quality cymbals can be made with various amounts of other materials. These include: zinc, nickel, manganese, aluminum, silver, gold, and phosphorus. The desired sound will dictate which metals and what amount of these other metals are used.
The 20% tin/80% copper mixture is called “Bell Bronze”. This formula produces cymbals capable of great dynamic range. The 8% tin/92% copper blend is called “Malleable Bronze”, which can be made into sheets and stamped into shape to reduce manufacturing costs. They are considered a great choice for beginners due to the cheaper price and the fact that they are less sensitive than bell bronze, which is easier to play for someone learning.
There are several basic techniques used in making most cymbals to create the desired sound and finish of each model. Some of these include [1] casting or stamping followed by [2] the refining process of hammering, lathing, and/or finishing.
Casting involves pouring hot liquid metal into a form that closely resembles the final dimensions. In stamping malleable alloys are required. These metal alloys are rolled into sheets where they are “stamped” by a machine into a likeness of the final cymbal form.
Hammering can be achieved by hand or by machine. Machines can be programmed for repeatable patterns or controlled by the cymbal maker. Hammering has several purposes for the cymbal. It is key for the bell bronze type since the form is less defined from the casting process. The shape is from the blows of a blunt hammer.
Lathing entails placing the cymbal on a rotatable machine which is then spun. While the cymbal is spinning, minute traces of metal are peeled from the surface. This process also produces the curvilinear scoring lines seen in cymbals.
Finishing involves applying a brilliant finish to the cymbal, a feature which has become more popular in recent years. This is done with an abrasive polish, adding metal plating, adding a lacquer, or any combination thereof to help prevent an oxide layer from forming.
Cymbals can be allowed to tarnish, with the formation of an oxide layer on the surface. Some musicians believe this was traditionally done to give the cymbal a more “mellow” sound with time.
Because of their composition and manner of use, cymbals will tarnish or become dirty or both and lose their luster and finish and may require cleaning. Dust, cigarette smoke, and oil from a person's fingers and hand will cause a cymbal to become dirty and, if not soon cleaned, will embed and harden making it more difficult to clean. Over time cymbals will turn green and otherwise tarnishing due to slow oxidation.
Cleaning this round relatively flat object is cumbersome. For a variety of reasons, be it sound or aesthetics or both, some musicians prefer to clean their cymbals while others do not. Musicians who clean their cymbals generally do so because of the bright and shiny appearance the cymbal presents, it shines brightly and looks good on-stage particularly with stage lights reflecting off the shiny cymbals. They also believe the sound quality is better in that the cymbal sounds as it should when manufactured. On the other hand, musicians who don't clean their cymbals generally do so because they like the way a tarnished green cymbal sounds; dark and earthy without a lot of overtones. Most musicians I have found prefer to clean their cymbals.
Cleaning agents used to clean cymbals include those sold by cymbal manufacturers, or other over-the-counter commercially available products such as Brasso®, Roadie-In-A-Bottle®, or Barkeepers Best Friend®, and the like. These are good for either a quick polishing of the cymbals or a deep cleaning due to build up of grime, oils, gunk, and dust. Comet® and Formula 409® are also good starters for removing heavy build-up of grime and gunk on cymbals followed by use of the cleaning agents listed above; but great care must be taken so as not to scratch the cymbal or cross-score it [scoring the cymbal against the grain of the original scoring lines] in the process.
Virtually all of these cleaning agents recommend to apply the cleaning agents with a soft, clean, dry rag on one small area at a time. If the cleaning agent is applied on too large of an area, the oldest polish may dry onto the cymbal and require much more “agitation” with the rag to remove it. The rag must be turned several times during this initial cleaning process so that a clean section is being regularly used and not a tarnished section. Once the entire cymbal surface is cleaned with the cleaning agent all the tarnish is typically removed. This is an extremely messy evolution.
To create the desired brilliant shine, the musician will repeat the process with a clean rag. This last phase is in reality the buffing phase and is easier than the first “cleaning” phase which removes the tarnish and grime built-up over time on the cymbals and in their scoring lines.
As mentioned, this entire process is time-consuming, cumbersome, and messy. If an abrasive agent is first required, the musician must be careful not to cross-score the scoring lines or to deeply scratch the cymbal as this would adversely affect its appearance and, to the purist, the sound quality. After the cleaning agent is applied, it should be wiped with the clean rag in the direction of the grooves [scoring lines] of the cymbal.
Because of all these difficulties some musicians send their cymbals to a professional cleaning entity to clean their cymbals. This process is rather expensive and, naturally, requires the musician to part with the cymbals for a period of time. Because of the high costs involved in a professional cleaning, some musicians either clean their cymbals themselves or don't clean them at all even though they may prefer the clean look and new-like sound of a clean and polished cymbal.
The method and device of the present disclosure makes cleaning one's cymbal easier, quicker, and cleaner and further eliminates the need for a professional cleaner and the expenses associated therewith. The final result is a clean cymbal bearing a brilliant lustrous shine and new-like sound. Speed, simplicity, cost, and outcome underscore the method and device of the present disclosure.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the method and device of the present disclosure. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the method and device of the present disclosure. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed method and device of the present disclosure in a different manner or by modifying the method and device of the present disclosure within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the method and device of the present disclosure may be had by referring to the summary of the method and device of the present disclosure and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the method and device of the present disclosure defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.